Midwife criticizes government for neglecting maternity safety in Shrewsbury

Donna Ockenden, a senior midwife, has criticized the previous Conservative government for its inaction regarding maternity safety, particularly in the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. In March 2022, she published a report identifying 15 critical areas needing immediate attention to enhance care for mothers and their babies. Ockenden emphasized that the government had numerous opportunities to improve services but failed to act effectively, leading to ongoing risks for maternal and infant health. Following her report, Ockenden supported the UK's first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma, which revealed that quality care for pregnant women is often not the norm. She expressed concern that families have been let down by the lack of progress in improving maternity services. Ockenden is now chairing an independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and is advocating for urgent discussions with Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Streeting, who took office after the recent Labour election victory, acknowledged the crisis in maternity services nationwide and expressed his commitment to addressing the issues highlighted by Ockenden. He recognized the need for lessons learned from specific trusts to be applied across the country to ensure better care for women in labor. Despite the acknowledgment of these issues, the Conservative Party has remained silent on the matter, with former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt not providing comments. The ongoing neglect of maternity safety raises significant concerns about the future of care for mothers and babies in the UK.